The S 4 with Android 4.2 "feels really awesome," will cost $649.

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Google showed off a Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android 4.2 this morning at the Google I/O keynote. Stripped of the extra Samsung interface bits, the S 4 drew applause from the developer-heavy audience; they applauded even harder when Google VP Hugo Barra announced that the device would deliver to users the same software experience as a Nexus device, including timely Android updates.

The Google-ified S 4 will ship unlocked, with the capability to function in the US on AT&T and T-Mobile's cellular networks with full LTE support. It will include 16GB of flash and an SD card slot to expand its on-board storage.

The smartphone will be available directly from Google via the Google Play store starting on June 26 for $649.

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Lee Hutchinson
Lee is the Senior Technology Editor at Ars and oversees gadget, automotive, IT, and gaming/culture content. He also knows stuff about enterprise storage, security, and human space flight. Lee is based in Houston, TX. Emaillee.hutchinson@arstechnica.com

If your interested in a S4 the price isn't bad. T-Mobile has a total price of 629$ for the normal S4. 20$ more for a unlocked phone that will actually get updates isn't bad at all.

It's awesome is what it is. I don't know about other carriers, but Tmo doesn't subsidize the phones anymore anyway. The $20 is worth timely updates and removal of the worst thing about Samsung phones, all that crapware.

I hope they don't do something stupid, like break MHL or other such nonsense.

As someone who uses Verizon because AT&T's network totally sucks in my area (while Verizon just turned on 4G LTE in this rural / middle-of-nowhere location), the notable lack of anything good on the Android software front is mightily frustrating. Verizon, please stop being a [censored] about updates. Thank you!

What is the obsession with AT&T? Everyone I know complains about them constantly, and they don't have the coverage that Verizon has. Can someone explain that to me please? I'm not trying to troll, but I am frustrated that living in New Hampshire with a few million other people means poor phone choices and only one carrier.

What is the obsession with AT&T? Everyone I know complains about them constantly, and they don't have the coverage that Verizon has. Can someone explain that to me please? I'm not trying to troll, but I am frustrated that living in New Hampshire with a few million other people means poor phone choices and only one carrier.

AT&T probably signed a contract with Google, around the same time that AT&T lost the exclusivity of the iPhone.

What is the obsession with AT&T? Everyone I know complains about them constantly, and they don't have the coverage that Verizon has. Can someone explain that to me please? I'm not trying to troll, but I am frustrated that living in New Hampshire with a few million other people means poor phone choices and only one carrier.

Read above. AT&T uses GSM, like most of the world, for their towers.Some light reading. A GSM phone will work for multiple people in multiple countries compared to CDMA which would be locked into the US for the most part. Since a lot of the less expensive pay as you go plans are GSM, it makes sense to want a SIM capable phone.

What is the obsession with AT&T? Everyone I know complains about them constantly, and they don't have the coverage that Verizon has. Can someone explain that to me please? I'm not trying to troll, but I am frustrated that living in New Hampshire with a few million other people means poor phone choices and only one carrier.

Because no one else in the world uses CDMA like Verizon or Sprint does? It's a GSM world, and it's easier to release worldwide with one handset. That leaves AT&T and T-Mobile...

So does this mean they're done with Google-branded phones? Or just a holdover until the next Nexus?

Uhh. What it means is acknowledging that Samsung holds as much power in this relationship as Google...

What Google gets out of it a "Nexus" that is actually a non-laughable competitor with the latest phones. BUT what Samsung gets out of it is that this is branded as a Samsung first product, not a Google first product --- no Nexus name anywhere in evidence. This is NOT the "Nexus S4", it's the "Galaxy S4"

We all know where this is headed, of course. Samsung would like to move on to the next step, where they toss Google aside completely. But they don't have the SW skills for that yet --- maybe in a few years, but not today. So this is the compromise that they can forge, between two companies that both want a divorce from each other.

This is NOT any sort of evidence of "health of the Android ecosystem" or "ability of Google to work with others" --- it's evidence of the model Google has tried to create over the years falling apart.

(This is not a slam at Android as a technical achievement, it's a comment on Android as a BUSINESS. Bear that in mind before unleashing whatever rant you feel this supposed criticism of your beloved OS deserves.)